UAE, US sign framework to secure critical mineral supply chains

The UAE and the US have signed a framework on critical mineral supply chains, with plans to finance projects in each country in the next six months.

The agreement was signed on the sidelines of the US Critical Minerals Ministerial in Washington, DC, between Mohamed Hassan Alsuwaidi, UAE's Minister of Investment, and Jacob Helberg, US Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs.

The framework establishes a coordinated approach to accelerate the secure supply of critical minerals, leveraging existing policy tools, including the US’ industrial demand and stockpiling infrastructure, and the UAE’s strategic reserves.

It will see both sides committing to jointly identifying priority projects that address supply chain gaps and begin operations to generate end products for delivery to buyers in both markets.

The agreement also supports accelerated and streamlined permitting processes, consistent with applicable laws, and outlines cooperation to strengthen market resilience. This includes measures to address non-market policies and unfair trade practices, explore high-standard market mechanisms that promote transparent and reliable trade, and engage with international partners on global pricing challenges.

It also provides a platform to mobilise public and private investment across the value chain, spanning mining, separation, processing, recycling, and downstream activities.

Additional areas of cooperation include investment in recycling technologies, improved management of critical minerals and rare earths scrap, and geological mapping efforts in the UAE, the US, and other mutually agreed locations.

“Critical minerals supply chains are inherently global, and unlocking their full potential requires coordinated action and sustained investment. As demand is expected to triple by 2030 and quadruple by 2040, maintaining investment momentum will be essential to meeting future needs and supporting resilient industrial growth," Alsuwaidi stated.

As the second-largest source of foreign investment into the UAE, the partnership with the US is critical in addressing global challenges, and this framework "will support joint investment and the advancement of concrete projects across the critical minerals value chain", he added.

Helberg said the UAE is a key partner of the US, a relationship further underscored by the UAE’s $1.4 trillion investment commitment in the US over the next decade.

"Our partnership is multi-layered and spans critical sectors, creating the foundation for transformative cooperation. This framework reflects our shared ability to work together across the most strategic industries, including critical minerals, to strengthen economic and national security," he noted.